Howard University recognizes that a variety of diseases disproportionately affect disadvantaged minority populations and that the resolution of these diseases will require the systematic involvement of cutting edge biomedical research tools and approaches. This proposal focuses on the enhancement and further development of two research core laboratories, the expansion of which will ensure the University's ability to contribute substantially to studies of those diseases that disproportionately affect disadvantaged populations. These two core laboratories are the Laboratory of Molecular Computations and Bioinformatics (LMCB) and the Biomedical NMR Laboratory (BNMR). The core laboratories are utilized by investigatorinitiated projects. Pilot projects are also proposed that will use the resources provided by the core laboratories. The LMCB will provide resource support to biomedical research projects in the areas of molecular modeling, molecular dynamics, bioinformatics, and quantum chemistry calculations. The BNMR laboratory will provide support to projects involving biomedical imaging and structural NMR investigations. The majority of the projects supported by the BNMR laboratory are cancer related projects. The LMCB provides support to cancer related projects and AIDS related projects. However, both the LMCB and the BNMR laboratory also provide support to projects that are neither cancer nor AIDS related. Attainment of these objectives will contribute to Howard University's goals of addressing diseases which disproportionately affect disadvantaged minority populations.